Fuel pump adjusters



March 12, 1963 v. GUARNASCHELLI ET AL 3,080,825

FUEL PUMP ADJUSTERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Feb. 11, 1960 3 Alallp rlllll/ i ""IIIIVIJIII I INVENTOR. VINCENT G UARNASCHELLI BYLQELINES F. RAUCH ATTOR NEY March 12, 1963 v. GUARNASCHELLL ETAL3,080,825

FUEL PUMP ADJUSTERS Original Filed Feb. 11, 1960 2 Sheets--Sheet 2INVENTOR.

VINCENT GUAR NA SCHELLI BY igsr F. RAUCH ATTOR NE Y United States Patent3,080,825 FUEL PUMP ADJ USTERS Vincent Guarnaschelli, Alton Ave.,Greenlawn, N.Y., and Ernest F. Ranch, 10 Flo Drive, Syosset, N.Y.

Original application Feb. 11, 1960, Ser. No. 8,007, {10W Patent No.3,027,847, dated Apr. 3, 1962. Divided and this application Apr. 3,1961, Ser. No. 112,142

Claims. (Cl. 103-150) This application is a division of Serial No.8,007, filed February 11, 1960, now Patent No. 3,027,847, granted April3, 1962.

This invention relates to fuel pumps for internal combustion engines,particularly to fuel pumps such as are used in automobiles and trucks,and the primary object is the provision of certain new and usefulimprovements in fuel pumps of standard construction whereby upon failureof the pump or upon noticeable or substantial loss of efliciency causedby wear upon the pump diaphragm or in the actuating mechanism or linkagethereof, the pump may be quickly and easily restored to eflicientoperation.

Our United States Patent No. 2,764,942, dated October 2, 1956, disclosesadjustable means for restoring a weakened fuel pump, wherein thediaphragm has lost its original flexibility owing to wear, to eflicientWorking condition. The present invention embodies useful and practicalimprovements over the invention as disclosed in the said patent, wherebyboth the installation and the opera bility of the adjustable fuel pumpare greatly simplified, with the elimination for the need of any specialtype or form of threaded bolts.

The above broad as well as additional and more specific objects will beclarified in the following description wherein reference numerals referto like-numbered parts in the accompanying drawings. It is to be notedthat the drawings are intended primarily for the purpose of illustrationand that it is therefore neither desired nor intended to limit theinvention necessarily to any or all of the exact details shown ordescribed except insofar as they may be deemed essential to theinvention.

Referring briefly to the drawings, FIG. 1 is a side elevational view,with parts broken away and partly in section, of a complete standardfuel pump for an automotive internal combustion engine, embodying theimprovements provided by the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of FIG. 4, with the pumphousing flange and the screw bolts omitted.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 44 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of a modified form of the inventionwherein the fuel pump housing is mounted directly against the motorcasting, with parts broken away and partly in section.

FIG. 6 is a view of the motor casting to which the fuel pump housing isattached, per se, taken on the line 66 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is in part a plan view of FIG. 5 and in part a horizontal sectiontaken through the motor casting and the screw bolts for attaching thepump housing thereto.

FIG. 8 is a reduced side elevational'view of the top portion of the pumphousing of FIG. 5, including a pressure gage attached to the pumpoutlet, the addition of the gage also being applicable to the pumphousing of FIG. 1.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates thestandard housing in some types of fuel pumps, which encloses thecam-actuated rod 11 operated by the engine in the well known manner.This housing is provided with the usual vertical flange 12 having twohorizontally spaced threaded holes 13 therethrough, so that by means ofthreaded bolts passed therethrough the flange of the pump housing may beattached to the flange 12. In place of the standard or usual pumphousing flange, the instant invention utilizes a vertically elongatedflange 14 having, preferably, a straight horizontal top edge 15.

The flange 14 is integral in a casting with the pump housing 16 which,except for the flange 14 is of standard construction. This housingincludes the essential operating parts or members such as the diaphragm17, the diaphragm stem 18, the spring 19 which surrounds the stembetween the diaphragm and the base 20 of the compartment below thediaphragm. Above the diaphragm the housing 16 provides the fuel chamberenclosed by the housing top portion 21, and the usual fuel inlet isprovided at 22 and the outlet at 22a. The stem 18, which is slidablethrough an opening in the base 20, has an open ing in its lower end inwhich a hook 23 on the rocker arm 24 engages to reciprocate the stemvertically in response to the vertical reciprocation of the cam-actuatedrod 11. The other end of the rocker arm is provided with a cap 25adapted to have the rod 11 register therein for actuation of the pump,the spring 26 serving to urge the cap down upon the rod. All ofthismechanism or linkage, except for the rod 11, is integral with the pumphousing 16, or, rather, is all operatively mounted within the pumphousing at the factory, as standard equipment.

The flange 14 is provided with two horizontally spaced longitudinal or,normally, vertical slots 27, having a Width equal to the diameter of theholes 13 and alignable therewith.

An adapter plate 28 of substantially the same dimensions as the flange14, is provided for the purpose made clear below. The opposedlongitudinal edges 29 of the flange 14 are beveled, as is clear in FIG.4. The plate 28 has both its longitudinal edges 30 .doubled back at anangle equal to the angle of the bevels 29, and the plate is mountedagainst the flange 14 with the latter snug ly slidable therein in,preferably, frictional engagement with the edges or flanges 30 of theplate. The plate is provided, at a suitable distance from its bottomedge, with holes 31 of the same diameter as the holes 13 and at the samedistance apart. The flange 14 is attached to the flange 12, with theadapter plate 28- between the two and mounted on the flange 1 4 asdescribed above, by

means of screw bolts 32 passing through the flange 14,

through the plate, and through the flange 12, with the holes 13, theholes 31, and the slots 27 all in alignment.

It is apparent that, since the plate 28 contains holes,

. 31, which are always aligned with the holes 13 in the flange 12, afterinstallation the plate is not movable with respect to the flange 12.Owing to the slots 27 in the flange 14, however, the latter isvertically movable with respect to the flange 12. When it is necessaryto lower the pump housing 16 with respect to the flange -12 after wearof the diaphragm and, generally, also of the pivots or other workingparts of the mechanism between the rod 11 and the diaphragm, in order totighten the pivots and the diaphragm to restore normal efficientoperation of the pump, the pump housing is repositioned at a lower levelin a simple manner. The bolts are loosened and the flange 14 is sliddown a short distance, perhaps onesixteenth of an inch, and the boltsare again tightened. Since the plate 28 is immovable with respect to theflange 12, and since the plate is also immovable with respect to theflange 14 in all directions except the vertical because the side flanges30 provide vertical guide members which restrict the flange 14 tovertical movement, it is apparent that in its new position the diaphragmwill remain untilted or twisted with respect to the rocker arm 24. Inother words, it is impossible for the pump housing to be twisted out ofits proper position with respect to the housing or any of the actuatingmechanism of the pump during movement to, or in, its new position.

Another advantageous result of the novel improved structure recitedabove, is that the original assembling of the pump unit including bothhousings 10 and 16 is substantially simplified. When the bolts 32 areabout to be tightened, the pump housing 16 is urged upward to itshighest possible position as the original setting thereof, and allguessing or juggling of the housings, one with respect to the other, iseliminated by having the bolts engage, or having the housing 16 stoppedin its upward movement of the bolts with, the bases of the slots.

In order to avoid the escape of air or fluid past the passage throughthe two flanges and the plate 28', through which the rocker arm 24 andits associated parts extend, a countersink surrounding the passagethrough the flange 14 is provided, which is filled with a gasket 33.These aligned passages through the flanges and the plate are indicatedat 3-4 for the flange 14, at 35 for the plate 28, and at 36 for theflange 12. Defining these passages as aligned obviously refers to theirproviding a continuous passage and does not imply that the surroundingedges of the three passages are or need be aligned.

The plate 28 including its side flanges 30 is preferably made of sheetmetal for strength as well as for a degree of resiliency in the flanges30 so that the flange 14 is firmly yet slidably held against the plate.

When a fuel pump loses its efficacy owing to long wear, say, forexample, after twenty-five thousand miles, the pressure at the outlet ofthe fuel pump drops from an original pressure of, say, four pounds to aconsiderably smaller pressure. In order that the user may at all timesbe able to check this pressure, it is intended to install a pressuregage 37 in the outlet flow line through the provision of a tapconnection 38. Also, after the pump has been repositioned downward, itspressure can be read on the gage, and it can be moved downward until thepressure again reads that which it originally read.

It is the practice among some manufacturers of automotive vehicles todispense with a separate housing of the type shown at 10, external ofthe motor block or casting, to house the cam-actuated rod 11 or itsequivalent, and instead to mount the latter within the motor block. Suchtype of installation is indicated in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7, wherein the motorcasting is shown at 39, and wherein a vertical relatively wide openingor slot 40, equivalent to the passage 36, FIGS. 2 and 4, is provided inthe casting, surrounded by a raised generally diamond-shaped boss 41similar to the flat surface of the flange 12, FIGS. 1 and 2. Also, twohorizontally spaced threaded holes 42 are drilled through the boss 41and the casting, equivalent to the holes 13, FIG. 3. The cam actuatedrod equivalent to the rod 11, FIG. 1, not shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7, ispositioned with respect to the opening 40 in the same manner as the rod11 is positioned with respect to the opening 36. 'It is thus obviousthat a standard fuel pump housing, or a housing such as the housing 16,is readily attachable to the boss 41 by means of screw bolts 12, withthe protruding end 25a of the rocker arm 24 engaged and actuated by therod 11.

It is to be noted that the plate 28 has the same contour as the flange14 of the improved pump housing 16. The shape of the flange 14 isapproximately rectangular, having the top edge 15, the vertical sideedges 43, and the bottom edge 44. The latter edge is composed of the twodownwardly extending converging edge portions 45 which, at pointsequally spaced from the side edges 43, meet and blend with a downwardlyextending curved portion 47 of the flange, outlined by the curved edge46.

Cast integral with the motor block 39, surrounding the boss 41, is anembossed or raised ridge in the form of an open or unobstructed frame48, similar in outline to that of the flange 14. The frame 48 consistsof the top member 49, the side members 50, and the bottom edge 51. Thecentral curved portion 52 of the bottom edge 51 of the frame iscomplementary to the corresponding portion 47 of the flange 14, and theside edges 50 are complementary to the sidge edges 43 of the flange 14,or, in other words, the flange 14 is registrable within the frame 48with the bottom portion 47 in engagement with the inner wall of theframe portion 52. In FIGS. 6 and 7 the opposed inner walls of the framemembers are all shown at right angles to the motor block wall. Theoverall length or height of the flange 14 is less than the overalllength or height of the frame 48; this is indicated in FIG. 5, showingthe space between the top edge 15 of the fiange 14 and the top framemember 49. As shown in FIG. 7, the flange 14 has its side edges 43registering against the side members 50 of the frame. This registrationis relatively snug but sufliciently loose to permit of sliding theflange 14 up or down within the frame; the side members 50 of the frameprevent wobbling of the flange while permitting up or down movementthereof. The same bolts 32 serve to secure the housing 16 to the motorblock.

By an open or unobstructed frame is meant a frame consisting solely ofthe raised ridges which define the frame so that an object such as thepump flange may be inserted into the frame by moving it in a directionat right angles to the motor block wall. And when considering the twoside members 50 alone, it is obvious that the space between them isunobstructed. If these side members had their opposed inner wallsundercut or beveled to slope at an acute angle to the wall in adirection toward each other, or if they had internal flanges thereon,the pump flange could not be inserted between the side members to nestsnugly therebetween.

When a new pump is installed in a new or an old vehicle, the flange 14,in the case illustrated, is positioned within the frame with the edge 15thereof in contact with the frame member 49; this is the original orstarting position for a new pump. After the pump has deteriorated inefficiency through prolonged use and wear, the diaphragm and all of theassociated functioning parts of the pump are restored to high efficiencyby loosening the bolts 32, lowering the entire pump housing 16 bysliding the flange 14 downward a short distance, and re-tightening thebolts, as before described. The outlet fuel pressure may, as before, betested on the gage 37, and further adjustment downward of the housingmay be made until the desired increased pressure is obtained.

Among those manufacturers who attach the fuel pump housing directly tothe motor block, there are some who mount the pump in a position whichis upside down compared to that illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings. In such motor castings the frame 48 would likewise bepositioned upside down compared with its position illustrated in FIG. 6,but the positioning of the pump housing with respect to the frame wouldbe unaltered; that is, the starting or original position of the new pumpwould again be such that the edge 15 of the flange 14 contacts themember 49 of the frame.

As stated above, the flange 14 is insertible into the en closure of theframe 48 directly by moving the flange at right angles to the plane ofthe frame. Thus, together with the fact that for its original positionthe flange is moved to engage its top edge 15 with the frame member 49,it is obviously very easy to install the pump and there is no guess workinvolved in securing it in its proper original position.

Obviously the frame 48 need not be made as a continuous endless ridge,as illustrated, for portions thereof which are not essential to providethe guide means required for proper functioning of the adjustable pumpas set forth above, may be broken away or omitted.

Also, it is not essential for all purposes that the exact configurationof the frame 43, the flange 14, or the plate 28, FIG. 3, all have theconfigurations shown, except that in all cases the opposed longitudinalsides or members must be parallel and, in use, vertical.

In the operation of thus changing the position of the fuel pump withrespect to the actuating rod 11, all wear between operating parts ofthe'mecha'nism is also taken up, and tightened, in addition tostretching the diaphragm.

' In the case of some fuel pumps, instead of having an actuating rodsuch as that shown at 11, upon the top of which the end 25a of therockerarm 24 is secured or mounted, the end 25a of the rocker is actuated byan arm or rod in' horizontal position engaging the end 25a from above orbelow. In such cases the essential features of the improved'fuel pumpadjuster, or the adjustable fuel pump, remain unaltered.

The boss 41, FIG. 6, is obviously the equivalent of, and serves the samepurpose as, the flange 12 of the housing 10. Therefore, for allpractical purposes, the housing 10 may be considered as a portion of themotor block, not shown, to which it is attached; it is customary ininstalling fuel pumps in such cases by first securing the housing 10 tothe motor block, and then attaching the pump housing thereto with therocker arm cap 25 positioned on the rod 11.

A further safety feature of the present invention is to be noted. Thatis, that if a bolt 32 should happen to loosen, or even if both bolts 32should become loose to some extent, the diaphragm housing 16 isrestrained from twisting or rotational movement by the flanged plate.FIGS. -4, or by the enclosure frame 48, FIGS. 5-7.

The invention having thus been described, what is claimed and desired tobe secured by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. In a fuel pump structure for an internal combustion engine having avertical wall provided with two horizontally spaced threaded holestherein and a passage therethrough positioned intermediate said holes, afuel pump housing having a horizontal diaphragm therein, a verticallymovable rocker arm and means connecting one end of the rocker arm withthe diaphragm for reciprocating the diaphragm upon rocking of the rockerarm, an enginecam-operated member positioned in the engine adjacent thesaid passage and operatively engaging the other end of said rocker armto rock the rocker arm, a flange on one end of the pump housing at rightangles to said diaphragm having two horizontally spaced vertical slotstherethrough and a passage therethrough intermediate the slots, theslots having a width equal to the diameter of said holes, the distancebetween said slots being equal to the distance between said holes, saidflange being adapted to be slidably mounted on said wall with said holesaligned with said slots and said passages mutually aligned at least inpart and adapted to have screw bolts extending i through said slots andthreaded into said holes to secure the pump housing to said wall, saidflange having vertical side edges, the improvement consisting in theprovision on said wall of guide means for said flange in the form of atleast two spaced vertical ridges projecting outward therefrom at rightangles thereto and having the space between said ridges unobstructed,the opposed inner edges of said ridges being spaced apart at a distanceequal to the width of said flange and being spaced equidistant from saidfirst-named passage, said flange thereby being insertable into positionagainst said wall between said ridges by moving the flange in adirection at right angles to the wall.

2. The device set forth in claim 1, said wall having an additionalraised portion projecting outward therefrom at right angles thereto andpositioned between said two vertical ridges, said flange having top andbottom edges said additional raised portion being additionallypositioned in the path of slidable movement of said flange in onedirection and providing a limit stop to the slidable movement of theflange in said direction.

3. .The device set forth in claim 2, said wall having a fourth raisedportion thereon at right angles thereto between said vertical ridgesspaced from said additional raised portion a distance greater than thedistance between the top and bottom edges of said flange providing alimit stop to the slidable movement of said flange in the oppositedirection.

4. In a fuel pump structure for an internal combustion engine having asubstantially upright wall provided with two horizontally spacedthreaded holes therein and apassage therethrough positioned intermediatesaid holes, a fuel pump housing having a substantially horizontaldiaphragm therein, a vertically movable rocker arm and means connectingone end of the rocker arm with the diaphragm for reciprocating thediaphragm upon rocking of the rocker arm, an engine-cam-operated memberpositioned in the engine adjacent said passage and operatively engagingthe other end of said rocker arm to rock the rocker arm, a substantiallyupright flange on one end of the pump housing having longitudinal sideedges lying in parallel planes at right angles to the flange and havingtwo horizontally spaced longitudinal slots therethrough parallel to saidside edges and a passage therethrough intermediate the slots, the slotshaving a width equal to the diameter of said holes, the distance betweensaid slots being equal to the distance between said holes, said flangebeing adapted to be slidably mounted on said wall with said holesaligned with the slots and with said passages mutually aligned at leastin part adapted to have screw bolts extending through said slots andthreaded into said holes to secure the pump housing to said wall, theimprovement consisting in the provision of guide means for said flangeon said wall in the form of at least two spaced ridges lying in parallelplanes at right angles to said Wall, the opposed inner surfaces of saidridges extending at right angles to said wall and being spaced apart ata distance equal to the width of said flange and being spacedequidistantly from said first-named passage and having the space betweensaid ridges unobstructed, whence, said flange thereby being insertableinto position against said Wall between said ridges by moving the flangein a direction at right angles to said wall, said flange when secured tothe wall by said screw bolts nesting between said ridges and beingconstrained from rotational movement in the plane of the flange.

5. In a fuel pump structure for an internal combustion engine having asubstantially upright wall provided with two horizontally spacedthreaded holes therein and a passage therethrough positionedintermediate said holes, a fuel pump housing having a substantiallyhorizontal diaphragm therein, a vertically movable rocker arm and meansconnecting one end of the rocker arm with the diaphragm forreciprocating the diaphragm upon rocking of the rocker arm, anengine-cam'operated member positioned in the engine adjacent saidpassage and operatively engaging the other end of said rocker arm torock the rocker arm, a substantially upright flange on one end of thepump housing having longitudinal side edges lying in parallel verticalplanes at right angles to the flange and having two horizontally spacedlongitudinal slots therethrough parallel to said side edges and apassage therethrough intermediate the slots, the slots having a widthequal to the diameter of said holes, the distance between said slotsbeing equal to the distance between said holes, said flange beingadapted to be slidably mounted on said wall with said holes aligned withthe slots and with said passages mutually aligned at least in part andadapted to have screw bolts extending through said slots and threadedinto said holes to secure the pump housing to said wall, said flangehaving top and bottom edges, theimprovement consisting in the provisionof guide means for said flange on said wall in the form of asubstantially rectangular unobstructed frame formed integral with thewall and extending outward therefrom at right angles thereto, said frameincluding side members lying in parallel planes at right angles to saidwall and having the opposed inner edges thereof spaced apart at adistance equal 7 8 to the width of said flange, said frame furtherincluding References Cited in the file of this patent top and bottommembers spaced apart at a distance greater UNITED STATES PATENTS thanthe distance between said top and bottom edges of the flange, saidflange thereby being insertable into posi- 360,779 MOSS 5, 1387 tionagainst said wall within the confine of the frame by 5 655,298 Dfesselg- 7, 1900 moving the flange in a direction at right angles to said656,956 Elbe'e 28, 1900 wall, said flange when secured to the wall bysaid screws 8231346 Maxwell June 12, 1906 nesting between said ridgesand being constrained from 1,881,939 Purdy 11, 1932 rotational movementin the plane of the flange while 2,195,013 Rastetter et a1 Mar-26,1940being vertically adjustable between said top and bottom 10 g r; ;al A352 members of the frame upon loosening of sa1d screws. 2,496,688Armstrong Feb 7, 1950 2,764,942 Guarnaschelli et a1 Oct. 2, 956

4. IN A FUEL PUMP STRUCTURE FOR AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE HAVING ASUBSTANTIALLY UPRIGHT WALL PROVIDED WITH TWO HORIZONTALLY SPACEDTHREADED HOLES THEREIN AND A PASSAGE THERETHROUGH POSITIONEDINTERMEDIATE SAID HOLES, A FUEL PUMP HOUSING HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLYHORIZONTALDIAPHRAGM THEREIN, A VERTICALLY MOVABLE ROCKER ARM AND MEANSCONNECTING ONE END OF THE ROCKER ARM WITH THE DIAPHRAGM FORRECIPROCATING THE DIAPHRAGM UPON ROCKING OF THE ROCKER ARM, ANENGINE-CAM-OPERATED MEMBER POSITIONED IN THE ENGINE ADJACENT SAIDPASSAGE AND OPERATIVELY ENGAGING THE OTHER END OF SAID ROCKER ARM TOROCK THE ROCKER ARM, A SUBSTANTIALLY UPRIGHT FLANGE ON ONE END OF THEPUMP HOUSING HAVING LONGITUDINAL SIDE EDGES LYING IN PARALLEL PLANES ATRIGHT ANGLES TO THE FLANGE AND HAVING TWO HORIZONTALLY SPACEDLONGITUDINAL SLOTS THERETHROUGH PARALLEL TO SAID SIDE EDGES AND APASSAGE THERETHROUGH INTERMEDIATE THE SLOTS, THE SLOTS HAVING A WIDTHEQUAL TO THE DIAMETER OF SAID HOLES, THE DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID SLOTSBEING EQUAL TO THE DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID HOLES, SAID FLANGE BEINGADAPTED TO BE SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID WALL WITH SAID HOLES ALIGNED WITHTHE SLOTS AND WITH SAID PASSAGE MUTUALLY ALIGNED AT LEAST IN PARTADAPTED TO HAVE SCREW BOLTS EXTENDING THROUGH SAID SLOTS AND THREADEDINTO SAID HOLES TO SECURE THE PUMP HOUSING TO SAID WALL, THE IMPROVEMENTCONSISTING IN THE PROVISION OF GUIDE MEANS FOR SAID FLANGE ON SAID WALLIN THE FORM OF AT LEAST TWO SPACED RIDGES LYING IN PARALLEL PLANES ATRIGHT ANGLES TO SAID WALL, THE OPPOSED INNER SURFACES OF SAID RIDGESEXTENDING AT RIGHT ANGLES TO SAID WALL AND BEING SPACED APART AT ADISTANCE EQUAL TO THE WIDTH OF SAID FLANGE AND BEING SPACEDEQUIDISTANTLY FROM SAID FIRST-NAMED PASSAGE AND HAVING THE SPACE BETWEENSAID RIDGES UNOBSTRUCTED, WHENCE, SAID FLANGE THEREBY BEING INSERTABLEINTO POSITION AGAINST SAID WALL BETWEEN SAID RIDGES BY MOVING THE FLANGEIN A DIRECTION AT RIGHT ANGLES TO SAID WALL, SAID FLANGE WHEN SECURED TOTHE WALL BY SAID SCREW BOLTS NESTING BETWEEN SAID RIDGES AND BEINGCONSTRAINED FROM ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT IN THE PLANE OF THE FLANGE.